Where the Words of the Greats Come to Life

Literary Sites


IT’S THE GREAT literature that first drew many of us to a passion for Britain—the poets and novelists who communicate universal human concerns and the triumph of the human experience in this green and pleasant land.

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PHOTOLIBRARY/GORDON NICHOLSON

PHOTOLIBRARY/GORDON NICHOLSON

RUDYARD KIPLING’S BATEMAN’S[/caption]

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CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

DYLAN THOMAS’ BOATHOUSE[/caption]

1 D.H. LAWRENCE’S BIRTHPLACE, EASTWOOD


Now a Nottingham suburb, the colliery town of Eastwood is redolent of its most famous native son. Visiting the birthplace museum, old village and Three Tuns pub is like taking a stroll through Sons and Lovers. www.dhlawrenceheritage.org

2 JANE AUSTEN’S HOUSE, CHAWTON


Few sites capture the world of a writer better than the Hampshire village of Chawton, and the house Jane Austen shared with her mother and sister. You can almost see Jane strolling in the garden. www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk

3 HARDY’S COTTAGE, DORCHESTER


The thatched cottage hard by Thorncombe Wood was Thomas Hardy’s birthplace. The very rural isolation colors the soul of the writer. Walk to the cottage through the woods for the full effect. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardyscottage

4 DOVE COTTAGE, GRASMERE


Of the several Lake District homes of William Wordsworth open to public view, none captures the poet’s “wild” essence like Dove Cottage, which Wordsworth occupied during his most fruitful poetic years. www.wordsworth.org.uk

5 ABBOTSFORD, MELROSE


Sir Walter Scott built his baronial manor on the Borders in 1817, already the foremost literary figure of his day. His home is as swashbuckling as his great historical novels, redolent of the romance of Scotland’s past celebrated so tellingly in his work. www.scottsabbotsford.co.uk

6 SHAKESPEARE’S STRATFORD


Yes, Stratford-upon-Avon is touristy, complete with faux Elizabethan schtick and plastic souvenirs. It’s also a wonderful evocation of the Bard, with the justly popular sites of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Holy Trinity Church and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s theaters. www.shakespeare.org.uk

7 MILTON’S COTTAGE, CHALFONT ST. GILES


John Milton’s only surviving residence is tucked in a small Chiltern Hill’s village. Here the blind poet composed some of his most famous work. The cottage and its gardens remain much as he left them 400 years ago. It’s a brilliant visit. www.miltonscottage.org

8 BATEMAN’S, BURWASH


By the time Rudyard Kipling discovered Bateman’s in the Sussex Weald, he was already among England’s most popular storytellers. The 17th-century home and gardens remain very much as he left them. A sheer delight to visit. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans

9 DYLAN THOMAS’ BOATHOUSE, LAUGHARNE


Wales’ most famous poetic voice comes alive in his boathouse overlooking the Taf Estuary. In a solitary shed, Thomas penned many of his major works, including Under Milk Wood. In the village, he famously drank with neighbors. www.dylanthomasboathouse.com

10 DICKENS HOUSE MUSEUM, LONDON


The only surviving London home of Charles Dickens contains the most complete collection of memorabilia of the Victorian novelist. It’s only fair; though Dickens came from the Medway, he was foremost a writer of London life. www.dickensmuseum.com